Voodoo’s Bride of Death: Maman Brigitte

January 25, 2014 By Lilith Dorsey

You might know her from the roses in her hair, the eye sockets in her skull, or the icy Voodoo hand there to hold if you need it. Maybe you don’t even know her name. It’s Brigitte, Maman Brigitte. She is the ancient primal feminine power. In Haitian Vodou she is honored as the first woman buried in every cemetery. Alongside her husband Baron Samedi, she guides and protects all who seek her blessing. Here devotees find wisdom, connection and healing justice. She is very often associated the Catholic St. Brigit and the Celtic goddess Brighid. Consequently her feast is celebrated on February 2, also known as Candlemas or Imbolc. St. Brighid is the patron saint of poets, healers, fugitives, midwives, blacksmiths, Irish nuns, and infants.

Maman Brigitte holds a special place in New Orleans Voodoo. Some say she was one of the patron deities of Marie Laveau. The Voodoo Spiritual Temple, of which I am a long standing member has frequently performed rites and rituals for her. The veve pictured here was for a rite we performed for her over a decade ago, notice it incorporates St. Bride crosses. Carolyn Wise, of the Fellowship of Isis, speaks to the special connection between this Celtic deity and New Orleans. A large number of Irish immigrant women relocated to New Orleans in the 1800 and brought their spiritual beliefs with them. Wise makes the interesting connection between the Voodoo dolls in the city and St. Bride dolls, and also states one of my favorite quotes about this deity,“She does not suffer fools.”For more information about traditional aspects of Brighid please visit my fellow Patheos bloggers posts Encountering Brighid and What is Brigidine Paganism?

Veve for Maman Brigitte photo by Lilith Dorsey

My Voodoo house holds Maman Brigitte in special regard as one of our patron deities. The past several years have seen feasts, rituals, readings, and initiations occurring this time of year. We use a special veve, or sacred ground drawing, that we lay out in cornmeal or coffee. This veve features Brighid’s crosses, which are a traditional Irish symbol. Coffee usually figures prominently in the feast menu as well, which includes Maman Brigitte’s other favorite offerings too. Oranges, Chocolate, Wine, Pork or beef are included. She is a people’s goddess. It is easy to establish a connection with her, as long as you are respectful and genuine at all times. In our house she is a patron of justice, a connection to the realm of the ancestors that we hold most sacred. The exquisite flag for her that my goddaughter created (shown above) contains her traditional imagery of crosses, headstones, hearts, and a chili pepper for a little extra spice. For us she is a goddess of death that reminds us of the healing power of connection to the dead and the ancestors who have walked this path before.

Chants of the Spirits: Volume II The Lwa is a fantastic cd of traditional Haitian Vodou chants compiled and performed by my goddaughter Cathleen McGowan, now a priestess and spiritual leader in her own right. The cd can be obtained from her etsy store Purring Banshee Studios.

The following is her moving chant for Maman Brigitte: Mother of the Dead

Mesye La Kwa, avanse pou l’we yo.

Maman Brigitte malad, li couche sou do.

Pawol anpil pa leve les mo

Mare tet ou; mare vant ou; mare ren ou.

Yo prale we ki jan yap met a jenou.

Gentleman of the cross, enter for her to see.

Maman Brigitte is sick, she sleeps on her back.

Plenty of talk won’t raise the Dead.

Tie up your head, your stomach, your back,

They will see how they will beg for forgiveness.

Vodou Serpent Simbi Slithers Between the Living and the Dead

January 6, 2014 By Lilith Dorsey

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Three Kings, Sun, Moon, and Star by Lilith Dorsey

Simbi is a Haitian Vodou Snake Lwa whose realm is magic, mystery and communication. January 6, the feast of the Epiphany, is the traditional time for honoring this Lwa or God. The Simbi snakes are said to reside in the trees, descending to the earth to deliver their divine magic to the world. Like the serpent of Biblical legend, this snake too has great wisdom and power. In the modern world Simbi has taken on the domain of technology. With lightning speed this Vodou spirit carries knowledge via the internet and wi-fi. The veve, or sacred ground drawing, for Simbi most often features a snake slithering through the crossroads. It is almost as if this sacred power crosses over the realm of magic to communicate his message to the world. The crossroads is said to represent the realms between the living and the dead, the visible and the invisible, the known and the unknowable.

A Snake By Many Names

The are many different Simbis. The Great Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau was said to have a large serpent that she worked with named Simbi, this could be where the bastardization into her connection with Zombies comes from. I don’t know if I give any credence to that theory, but I have heard it whispered around. Some people also believe Simbi to be another manifestation of the Lwa Damballa, while others are more specific in their classification. There is Simbi Dlo, the water Simbi, Simbi Andezo, the two water Simbi, Simbi Anpaka, in charge of leaves and poisons, Simbi Makaya the sorceror, Simbi LaFlambeau, the fire serpent, and Simbi Ganga, the warrior spirit. Elizabeth MacAlister, who I had the good fortune to meet a few years ago, chronicled her experience with the Simbi, and shared the Simbi Ganga song she was given.

Simbi O Simbi Ganga E, m’a rele Simbi Ganga E
Yo mete pote kouto, yo mete pote poinya m’pap pe yo
Simibi Ganga e m’pap pe yo, Simbi Ganga!

Simbi O Simbi Ganga E, I’m calling Simbi Ganga hey!
They can bring knives, they can bring swords, but I am not afraid of them,
Simbi Ganga I’m not afraid of them, Simbi Ganga!

Please check out the Simbi track and more Vodou music on Smithsonian Folkways’ Rhythms of Rapture: Sacred Musics of Haitian Vodou for more Simbi music and other sacred Haitian offerings.

Attributes:

Color: Green and/or White

Sacred Water: From springs, streams, rain or lightning storms

Offerings: Mangoes, Rum

Representations: The Three Kings ( because of the Epiphany,) St. Anthony and Moses.

For more history about Simbi and the indigenous Taino connection I recommend HoodooQ

Counting Kwanzaa: Thoughts on Voodoo Unity

December 26, 2013 By Lilith Dorsey

kinara — Kinara in Oakland YMCA lobby by George Kelly licensed under CC by 2.0

Someone just posted on my Facebook wall that “Kwanzaa is crap.” So much for hopes of U-N-I-T-Y, in the community, in the world, even on my fracking wall. Okay, Kwanzaa is a relatively new holiday. It’s not associated with any religion in particular and is designed to, in the words of it’s creator Dr. Maulana Karenga, “bring a cultural message which speaks to the best of what it means to be African and Human in the fullest sense.” That sounds great, in theory. Kwanzaa starts today. It is a holiday about family and harvest. It is centered around seven principles, beginning with unity.

Voodoo Unity

There’s not much unity in the Voodoo and Vodou community. Actually it’s a bit of a war, and it pretty much always has been. There have always been drama filled rivalries between New Orleans Voodoo practitioners. You can read some of the folklore surrounding these in Mysterious Marie Laveau Voodoo Queen and Jambalaya by Luisah Teish. There is stiff competition for resources and not much love to go around.

Unity in the Afro-Diasporan Community

“Kwanzaa begins with a celebration

of ourselves as African people, our families,

communities and culture. But in its ancient

African origins as a first-fruit harvest

celebration, it is also a celebration of life and

all the good in the world— fruit and flower,

beast and bird, field and forest, star and stone,

water, mountains and the mysteries and

magnificence of the earth and the heavens.”

-Celebrating and Living Kwanzaa 2013 Founder’s Message by Dr. Maulana Karenga

All too often African and African-American culture is met with prejudice and fear, even within its own boundaries. Kwanzaa is a walk your damn talk holiday. True, it is a manufactured holiday. But it speaks of coming together, and these very nature inspired words that come from the founder this year give me hope that maybe simpler, better days are ahead.

Is it Okay for White People?

It’s 2013, and there is still the outmoded idea that assimilation and miscegenation mean eradication for both parties. One popular blog by Akilah Bolden-Monifa asks the question “Can White People Celebrate Kwanzaa?” The short answer is yes: the same way a non-Jewish person can attend a Seder meal or a muggle can go to an open Pagan circle. All signs of life began in Africa, and the values are something everyone could learn from. But alas, experience shapes existence, and probably not too many white people want to attend. For those of us in Voodoo, Vodou, or Santeria (Lukumi), we have our own traditions, and many see little reason to add another to an already full schedule.

Sowing and Harvesting Seeds of Good

This first night of Kwanzaa the custom is to light a black candle, representative of the faces of Kwanzaa. A black torch to light the way on the nights ahead, on the path to the future. The theme this year is “Sowing and Harvesting Seeds of Good.” This sentiment definitely seems to call us all back to our Pagan, simpler roots. It’s about moving forward with kindness, gentleness, and respect to reap the benefits of a new tomorrow. Let’s see what the future will hold.

2013: The Voodoo Universe Has Lift Off

December 18, 2013 By Lilith Dorsey

marieveveflag — Marie Laveau Veve Flag unveiled at Voodoo Zombie Rave 2013. Photo and Flag by Scarlet Sinclair.

2013: it’s been a year of old and new, ancestors and internet, and from where I sit, it’s up, up and away from here. This year my godchildren and I performed the first ever Zombie Voodoo Silent Rave for the ancestors. Now this sounds odd, and it was, but the ancestors and the living love a good party. It’s so hard to get everyone on the same ritual page at a large Pagan festival, and while my godkids and I are used to ritual, many of the participants have never seen or experienced a Voodoo ritual for themselves. And everyone is always doing their own thing at a ritual anyway, so why shouldn’t it be a silent rave, with everyone on their own wavelength. We started things off right with a Michael Jackson”Thriller” flash mob and proceeded with Haitian Kreyol chants for the ancestors and it was good. We had a ritual fire and sound synched led lights on the portable palm tree. This is how we roll, it’s the way we live. The way we worship has met the new world and there is no turning back. In Voodoo and Haitian Vodou we have a deity for technology and communication known as Simbi. This spirit is the snake, lightning fast, and ever purposeful. Simbi gets us where we are going and while the path we led in 2013 may have been twisted at times, we know we are headed in the right direction.

2013 saw the launch of my new blog Voodoo Universe which you are reading now. This isn’t my first online foray, we started Branwen’s Pantry, which was the product site for my newsletter Oshun, almost two decades ago, so i guess that makes us dinosaurs in cyberspace. I’d like to say I’ve seen the internet hucksters come and go, but mainly I have just seen them stay. Religion, and Paganism has become even more about hype and stereotype and less about honest understanding and compassion. When I started writing about Voodoo all those years ago, as many of you remember, our desire was to provide “respectful and accurate” information about Afro-Diasporan religions. That is still my mission today, yet for everyone who comes with an open mind and a open heart, there are still haters and that makes me sad. The blog attacks, Chango aside, haven’t been as rough as I thought, but it’s early days yet. I did manage to offend a Satanist, and anger Youtube, but obviously the devils need their due, and this Voodoo priestess is ready. So I’m proud of the lift off of the Voodoo Universe, it’s all up from here. I’m excited and honored to reach out in this new way and who knows what my hand will touch.

2013 saw the passing of many a soul into the realm of the ancestors. The Global African and African-American community large and small will feel the transition with the passing of great men like Nelson Mandela, Julius L. Chambers, and Chinua Achebe. The music world, in this realm anyway, is a little smaller without Lou Reed and Richie Havens. Who I personally believe should both have Voodoo Veves made for them asap. In my religious traditions of Voodoo, Haitian Vodou, and Santo/ Lucumi there is a strong belief that those who have passed live on energetically, not just in our memories but with guidance and support to the living. May we all be open to all of the wisdom this year has had to offer us in the days or daze, weeks, and months to come.

Where Do We Go From Here?

2013 was the year of my string theory Mardi Gras costume. I wanted to illustrate both the concept that everything is connected, “Everything is everything,” as Lauren Hill is want to sing, and the idea that the spaces we don’t see are just as vital. Tomorrow, like much of the Voodoo Universe is unknown until we get there. The spaces are unrealized potential, we will take the proper steps to fill them artfully with whatever the universe has in store. Here in my universe I hope to share more with you: more rituals, more keys to unlock the wisdom of the ancestors, more sacred recipes (some from my upcoming cookbook), more real voodoo, in all its weird wondrousness.

The Horrors of American Horror Story Coven: A Voodoo Priestess’ Perspective

November 20, 2013 By Lilith Dorsey

Legend of Laurie — Legend of LaLaurie photo by Lilith Dorsey

There is a show on FX TV….

Full of fluff about Wicca n Voodoo.

It will be the ruin of those poor producers,

I hope they don’t think they’ve won.

No I’m only kidding. I’m not hexing them. I just like filk, it’s like mental floss. But, I’ve held my forked Voodoo tongue long enough. We are about halfway through the latest season of AHS Coven. Angela Basset is beaming with the fact her Marie Laveau performance has been rated in the top five of her career. The season is full of tropes, tricks, and trash and it’s time to get real.

WTF?

There is a scene where the witches are besieged by Marie Laveau’s army of zombies…all I can say is wtf. I salute their attempt to show voodoo as a method of social control, but, and here’s my own cliché for you, we don’t need no stinking zombies. Ironically, Voodoo practitioners would more likely employ some of the tactics the show is attributing to the witches: racists would be compelled into oncoming traffic, spontaneously combust, or just have their throat slit. The Voodoo religion was raised on the magic of slaves who were being raped, beaten, and tortured daily, they fought back with any means necessary.

I Don’t Know What That Was.

“I don’t know what that was, they got some real power in that witch house now”- Angela Bassett as Marie Laveau

Angela Bassett is breaking my little black heart, both as a Voodoo practitioner and a proud woman of color. In a promotional interview with Arsenio Hall they bring out a “voodoo doll” of him and she heals it with hearts. It was almost as if I was watching a decades old performance of epic stereotypical proportions, like that of Stepin Fetchit or Sleep N’Eat. As for the Voodoo practices in the show, I don’t know what that was, or was even trying to be.

Within the confines of the American Horror Story Coven plot-line Marie Laveau has solicited reinforcements in the form of a serial killing “witch hunter” This is Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau, I think Abraham Lincoln Vampire hunter was a more plausible plot line. The scene where she is afraid of fire, was impractical. What is she a scarecrow? Voodoo eats fire for breakfast, see my post on fire magick.

Trope-Tastic

The ridiculous use of tarot and spirit boards this season are also completely trope-tastic. Did they just do a search for what everyone misbelieves about witches and voodoo practitioners? None are so psychic as those who cannot see… they are going to get a lot of baggage out of this one, even though we have all seen it before. Then there is the character of Fiona Good. She is not so good. Is she a Cliché, a Fairy? Now I think Jessica Lange is a living legend, she can only shine through whichever artistic channel she is given. But I want this show to serve as a meta text for America’s collective horror story, Ed Gein, Lizzie Borden, and the rest. I did appreciate a visit from the Ax Man. How could you not love a real historical legend who decreed himself “ the worst spirit who ever existed either in fact or the realm of fancy.” So we all better jazz it or we’ll get the Ax. His mysterious warning letter mentioned crimes that were to take place on St.Joseph’s Day, a celebration for Mardi Gras Indians and particularly favored by Sicilian Immigrants to the city. This connection has been underexplored in my opinion. Madame LaLaurie is another example of a true to life character gone wrong. New Orleans spooky history has given the American Horror Story writers yet another interesting persona , diabolical and downright dirty. Her crimes, however, are in the past and the show wants to humanize her a bit. This gives Kathy Bates a reason to shine and share her delightful culturally anachronistic one liners, but does little for the storyline.

Dr. John and Lilith Dorsey at Krewe du Vieux 2010

One of the most exciting scenes came with the burning of character Myrna Snow ( Maybe Myrtle, everyone calls this fuzzy redheaded chick something different) saying “I go proudly to the flame. Go ahead.” They then immediately underscore the scene with Dr. John’s classic “Right Place, Wrong Time.” I have worked and performed with Dr. John (Mac Rebennack) and even choreographed his Night Tripper Voodoo Show on it’s recent return. This “Wrong Time” woman sees a lot of parallels in this scene to Alejandro Jodorowsky’s cult occult film The Holy Mountain, which ironically is one of Dr. John’s favorite films too. Fiona is even dressed like Jodorowsky’s conquering hero. That is this season’s only saving grace, cinematically this season is phenomenal. American Horror Story: Coven evokes Alejandro Jodorowsky, Alfred Hitchcock, Nicholas Roeg, and other legendary directors. I have no illusions about the truth of a fiction piece about New Orleans Voodoo like this one. I studied documentary film-making at NYU and I have questionable faith in the truth of any production. Unfortunately people believe what they see, and if everyone tried just a bit harder they would really see the truth about Voodoo is out there, just beyond their television set.

Sounds of the Spirit: New Orleans Voodoo and Haitian Vodou Drumming

November 5, 2013 By Lilith Dorsey

Nothing typifies Voodoo spirit better than the drum. Literally the heartbeat of the tradition, the drums are the hands of Voodoo. They carry the messages of the divine through their skins. It reverberates and permeates our bodies and we are trance-formed. In New Orleans Voodoo and Haitian Vodou there are rhythms for each specific Lwa or deity. It is like the Lwa’s theme song, it is played both to call and to honor. Music is present at all rituals.

The first famous Voodoo drummer to gain popularity was Dr. John Montaigne. He operated as High Priest to Marie Laveau’s High Priestess and by many accounts he was almost as impressive as she was. Reported to be Senegalese royalty, he is said to have had many wives and a face tattooed with red and blue snakes. Marie Laveau herself has been the subject of many a tune, New Orleans Jazz or not, and performed by everyone from Dr. John (Mac Rebennack), Big Chief Alfred Doucette, The Hanna Barbarians, Canned Heat, Bobby Bare and many others. The roots of N’awlins sacred music , however echo forth from the drum.

My recommendation for New Orleans Voodoo music is the cd titled simply Voodoo created by the Voodoo Spiritual Temple and featuring the lovely sounds of Priestess Miriam Chamani and Louis Maritinie drumming along with others. This collection features song and chants for Legba, the gatekeeper, Ogun, the Ancestors,

Voodoo Priestess Miriam Chamani as Queen of Krewe du Vieux 2010, photo by Lilith Dorsey.

Les Gede, Mami Wata, Omo Chango, and more. There is an amazing rendition of the Yen Valou (Yanvalou,) a traditional serpent rhythm of roots and resistance. As a member of the temple I can honestly say that one of the beauties of this cd is that it accurately represents the glory and the soul of the temple experience. It is a wonderful choice for ceremony and/or celebration. Louis Martinie is also the architect of Ritual Drumming: Evoking the Sacred thru Rhythms of the Spirit, created with his partner Mishlen Linden. Martinie is a phenomenal drummer and teacher, and he has served as Temple drummer, Bokor and most recently Priest for the past two decades. I am proud to call both him and Priestess Miriam friends and spiritual family.

Most of traditional Haitian Vodou recordings exist only on vinyl. Leading the list of my favorite collection of ritual Haitian music is Bonnie Devlin’s Action of Grace. She is another individual that I am proud to have as a spiritual mentor and friend. This cd includes sacred tracks for the ancestors, and for the different nations (nanchon) or Lwa such as Ibo, Petro and more. It functions as a complete ritual playlist from start to finish and I highly recommend it.

St. Expedite: The Patron Saint of Hurry Up

November 1, 2013 By Lilith Dorsey

San Expedito altar and offerings. Photo by Paul Lowry.

It’s All Saints Day today and my mind is drifting to all the saints honored in Voodoo and Santeria, also known as Lukumi. The one that jumped out first was St. Expedite. For those who have never heard of him before, he is a godsend/goddessend to Voodoo and Santeria practitioners, folk magicians, and other devotees worldwide. This time of year is traditionally one for honoring the ancestors and it is important to note this Saint is given tribute not only in New Orleans,but Haiti, Spain, Portugal, Cuba, Chile, Germany, and Sicily to start the list.

In New Orleans some people believe this to be the patron Saint of the city, and uphold him as a purely home grown creation. He gets things done quickly, effectively, and in a no nonsense way, kind of like the city of New Orleans itself. My favorite statue of St. Expedite, reported to be the only one of it’s kind in North America, is in the Our Lady of Guadalupe International Shrine of St. Jude in New Orleans. The church is located at 411 N. Rampart St, across from St. Louis Cemetery Number One, where the grave of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau is supposedly located. The place of worship was constructed in 1826 and was originally called the Mortuary Chapel. It is the oldest surviving church in the area, and although it is said that Marie Laveau frequently patronized St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square, it is very likely that she utilized this sacred space as well. Oddly enough the first funeral to take place there was exactly 186 years ago today. Urban legend has it that the famous Expedite statue arrived in a mysterious box stamped Expedite and has been housed there ever since.

People turn to St. Expedite with problems of money, getting paid,curing procrastination, removing persecution, and speedy deliveries. People light novena candles to him and ask for his divine aid. The following is my recipe for St. Expedite Blessings Water.

St. Expedite Blessings Water

1 bottle Holy Water from a Catholic Church (Be sure to leave an offering in return)

3 drops spring water

3 drops Sandalwood oil

4 corners torn off from a picture of St. Expedite

During the night of the full moon, mix together all ingredients inside the holy water bottle. Take the bottle in both hands and move it up, down, left, and right making the shape of a cross. When you reach where the invisible center of the cross would be throw the bottle gently into the air and then catch it. This is to represent the mixture going into the hands of the spirits. Use as a blessing water wherever you may need to bring about a speedy transformation.

For more information on the magic and history of this interesting Saint please check out the Lucky Mojo website which tells and interesting linguistic story about why this saint is shown with the Latin words “Hodie,” meaning today, and “Cras,” meaning tomorrow. In addition, Milagra Roots’ article on Saint Expedite is also very detailed and helpful.